Greta Brielle ~ Nine Months Old

Greta is such a darling baby!  She is able to get around quickly on her own now, scooting from here to there with her caterpillar crawl.  She favors her left hand, as she has some eczema that gets tender from time to time.  This is why she has a sock on her hand in these photos.  Doc said to put hydro cortisone and Triple Cream on her eczema at night.  Greta loves peas!  She also delights in enjoying finger foods - she's an independent little lady.  Cheese, Cheeri-Os, shucked peas, fruit bites, etc are among her favorites.  She is a little chatterbox - loves to verbalize her thoughts and make fun noises.  "Dat" is a common word in her vocabulary.  She continues to adore books, music, and going on adventures - anywhere outside of our normal routine.  Greta enjoyed portions of her 1st movie in a theater with our family.  We took in the matinee of "Cars 2" at the nearby discount theater.  Greta got so excited by the size of the screen, the lights, and booming volume, she stood on my lap squealing with joy.  For this reason, I felt compelled to exit the theater for awhile to allow other viewers a less interrupted movie experience, but we popped in and out and she enjoyed both the inside of the theater and the lobby equally.  Daddy and the boys saw the whole movie - I caught the beginning and end of it, and Greta was enthralled by the whole outing.

We absolutely adore our little darling!

Greta Brielle ~ Eight Months Old

 These months are flying by so quickly!  It's hard to believe we're 2/3 through Greta's first year already.

Greta is such a joy in our lives.  She is a chatterbox and she loves to roll around and explore her surroundings.  Though I'd still say she qualifies as a good sleeper, she's been a little bit more wakeful in recent weeks.  It could be teething, or just that she's practicing (or maybe obsessing over) her rolling and crawling skills in her sleep.  She has said "Dada" and can often be heard chanting "Ga-gen, ga-gen, ga-gen...," which we think sounds a bit like Gordon.  We're pleased that the hard /g/ sound is among her first sounds.  Very fitting in our family.  Greta enjoys her growing list of baby foods that are being introduced to her, and rarely does she not like them.  The only one I can recall from this past week that made her pucker and wince was an odd combination of spinach, pears, and rutabagas.  I can't say that I'd want to eat that either.  She loves pears!  Gordon and Grayson absolutely adore their baby sister, and she thinks they are the cat's meow as well.  She's a busy little lady, and likes to be outside - either going for walks in her stroller, swinging at the park, or just resting in the backyard in her high chair, watching her big brothers play.  She also loves rides in the car, especially if we're heading to the mountains.  While there, she loves to go for hikes and enjoy the fresh mountain air.  Her very first Halloween is coming up in three days and I will post pictures of her and her brothers in their costumes, so stay tuned.  ☺

I have so much catching up to do on this blog.  Life has really taken a busy turn in recent months, but it's on my list to get up to date in documenting some of the special moments in our family from the past few months here on this little blog - my online memory book.

Bedtime Stories

Greta ~ Seven Months Old

 I found it difficult to choose just one representation of Greta at 7 months...so here are a bunch of photos.

Taking a little break to ponder her next happy pose.

 For some reason, Greta just had a ball with this photo session, more so than ever!

 So HAPPY!  She can hardly contain her joy!  ♥

 "Hey, who turned out the lights?!"  (Bet you haven't heard that one-liner in awhile?!)

Who doesn't have an occasional wardrobe malfunction?

Oh, how we are enjoying this precious baby girl!  Greta is rolling all over the place, and showing interest in pulling her knees up beneath her - likely to be taking off crawling in the near future.  She is a vocal baby and loves to sing little melodies and chatter frequently.  She still loves to kick and dance!  So far, she's tried sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, peaches, applesauce, and pears.  Pears are her favorite, so far.  Sleeping through the night is still a much appreciated gift that she gives us most nights, though daytime naps are short and sweet, and not always guaranteed -- so Mommy finds herself behind on chores lately.

These months are soaring by too quickly!  We are loving every moment.

Kicking Donkey

Though she seems to clam up a little for the camera, here's a glimpse of the very frequent kicking activity that Greta so loves!

Grayson Loves Chocolate!

 At the cabins for Labor Day weekend, Uncle Joey brought up a variety pack of doughnuts to share.  Gary went to get himself a creme-filled pastry with chocolate frosting....  Hmmm?!

 Someone had found himself alone with the doughnuts and licked the chocolate frosting off the tops of several of them.

 He wasn't in trouble -- we were quite amused.  Little Grayson was sheepish as he admitted his role in the vanishing chocolate topping. 

We adore our little chocolate bandit.

Beautiful Sweater from Great Aunt Karen Schueler

 Greta received this beautiful sweater from her great aunt Karen Schueler, along with a gorgeous hat and knit booties.  So precious!